Self-loading transport body for recyclable waste

ABSTRACT

A tiltable truck body is specially adapted for loading, transport, and unloading of recyclable waste materials. Plural interior waste compartments are separated by independently controlled inner doors. Side mounted buckets mounted on roller tracks and connected to a hydraulic drive assembly by hinged lift arms permit separable curbside loading and dumping of waste material in confined areas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a means for collection and transport of waste materials and specifically to truck bodies capable of loading, transporting, and unloading separated recyclable waste.

In an era when conservation of raw materials and natural resources has become a major concern, recycling of consumer waste such as paper, glass, aluminum, and plastic is playing an increasingly important role. However, efficient recycling requires means for collecting and transporting waste materials separately, so that scrap aluminum, for example, can be delivered to a recycling facility without being mixed with other substances. The traditional garbage collection truck, of course, collects and transports waste in a collective mass.

Compartmentalized truck bodies for waste collection are known in the prior art, as are various side-mounted means for loading waste from street level into a collection truck. However, these two concepts have not been combined in such a way as to provide for rapid loading of separate waste storage compartments using loading mechanisms that operate quickly and in confined areas. In addition, repair and maintenance of prior art self-loading waste truck bodies is time consuming and costly because of their complexity and difficulty in disassembly.

What is needed, then, is a self-loading truck body which is easily maintained and which is specially adapted for the rapid and efficient collection, loading, transport and unloading of recyclable waste materials.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the present invention, a unitized truck-mounted waste body includes a sliding cover and plural waste compartments separated by doors which are individually locked from the truck cab. Mounted on the side of the waste body are dual waste loading buckets, each with three waste bins corresponding to the compartments of the truck body.

The loading buckets are moved proximate to the wall of the waste body on roller tracks, pulled by hinged lift arms. To increase loading speed, hydraulic motors drive each set of lift arms connected to a torque tube. Curved upper roller track sections automatically tilt each loading bucket in a controlled arc to empty waste materials from the bucket bins into corresponding compartments in the truck body.

The buckets, lift arms and related components are designed with retaining rings, spline shafts, and similar elements to facilitate removal for maintenance and repair. The entire truck body can be tilted, and the interior compartment doors are individually released to prevent mixing of the separated waste during discharge.

An object of the present invention, then, is to provide a means for loading, transporting and unloading separated waste materials.

A further object of the present invention is to increase the speed, efficiency and convenience of curbside loading of separated materials into a waste collecting vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-loading transport body for recyclable waste that is easy to repair and maintain.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the truck-mounted waste transport body with loading buckets.

FIG. 2 is a partial side view of a section of the transport body showing the frame and a typical compartment door latching assembly.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the lift bucket mechanism.

FIGS. 4(a), (b) and (c) are enlarged side and partial phantom views of each end of the lift bucket drive and torque tube assemblies and of the upper lift arm.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the waste transport body showing the tailgate with a sequential end view of the lift bucket mechanism in operation.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the waste body with one top cover open and the other sliding top cover in the closed position.

FIGS. 7(a) and (b) are enlarged sectional views of the upper and lower lift arm hinge assemblies.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the truck mounted waste transport body tilted in the unloading position with all inner compartment doors shown in phantom.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of the alternate lift bucket mechanism with center mounted helical drive.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown generally in FIGS. 1 and 8, the waste transport body 3 of the present invention is mounted to frame 2 of a truck having an independent cab 1. Dump body 3 is hinged at the rear of truck frame 2 permitting tilting of body 3 by means of conventional telescoping hydraulic arm 4.

As best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, the floor and side walls of body 3 are supported by a frame 5 and covered by dual fixed top covers 17 and sliding top covers 18. In the preferred embodiment, each top coVer 18 includes rollers 25 which are received by roller tracks 21. Air cylinder assembly 20 is fastened to each of top covers 17 and 18 to drive sliding cover 18 within tracks 21 by movement of the piston of cylinder 20. Compressed air to power cylinder assembly 20 is supplied by the air system of the vehicle and controlled by switched air valves located on an external control panel immediately behind cab 1. Of course, cover 18 could also be electrically or hydraulically powered.

To accommodate separate loading, transport and unloading of recyclable waste, body 3 includes six internal waste compartments, 3a through f, separated by inner compartment doors 6 which swing from top hinges 7. As best seen on FIG. 2, which illustrates one of the five latch mechanisms, door stops 33 are mounted to floor plate 39 of body 3 in a position to maintain door 6 in a slight rearward angle when body 3 is level. This facilitates positive latching and unlatching of doors 6.

Air chambers 28 are mounted beneath floor plate 39 and are separately operated by switchable air valves located on a console inside cab 1. During loading and transport of waste, doors 6 are secured against stops 33 by means of latch plates 32 which rotate through slots in floor plate 39. Beneath plate 39, latch plates 32 are connected to door controller rods 44 which rotate through hinges 31 beneath floor plate 39. Air chambers 28, in turn, drive rods 44 through bushing and arm assembly 29. A spring 50 is mounted internal to chamber 28 to bias and return door latch plate 32 in the locked position as air is relieved from chamber 28. Thus, when body 3 is tilted as shown in FIG. 8, the truck operator can sequentially discharge the separated waste from compartments 3a through f by separately releasing latch plates 32 using cab mounted air controls. When body 3 is returned to level position for reloading, compartment doors 6 swing back against stops 33 and are positively latched in position when air is released from chambers 28. Of course, top covers 18 are closed during tilting of body 3 to prevent accidental top discharge of waste.

As best seen on FIG. 5, the rearmost compartment 3f of body 3 is enclosed at its rear by tailgate 41 suspended by tailgate hinges 42. Tailgate 41 is latched and unlatched against tailgate stops 43 in a manner similar to inner doors 6.

Rapid loading of recyclable waste into waste compartments 3a through f is accomplished by front and rear loading buckets 11 and 12. Each of buckets 11 and 12 includes three waste bins which are designed to hold multiple households' loads so that unloading of buckets 11 and 12 into compartments 3a through f does not have to occur at each waste pickup stop.

As best seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, easy curbside loading and maneuvering of body 3 is facilitated by the low profile design and operation of buckets 11 and 12 and related mechanisms. Secured to the side panel of body 3 are four roller tracks 8 with upper arced sections, two for each bucket. Tracks 8 are adapted to receive and engage the rollers of bucket axle and roller assemblies 10 mounted two to a side on each of buckets 11 and 12.

Movement of buckets 11 and 12 along roller tracks 8 is controlled by hinged lift arms 13 and 14, each comprising an upper member 15 and lower member 16. Upper and lower lift arm members 15 and 16 are joined by upper hinge assembly 19 comprising a hinge pin and removable retaining ring, as best seen in FIG. 7(a). Lower member 16 is rotatably secured to buckets 11 and 12 at lower hinge pin assembly 9, each comprising a hinge pin, bushing, washers and removable retaining ring, as best seen in FIG. 7(b).

Improved loading speed over the prior art is accomplished by the novel lift arm drive mechanism, seen best on FIGS. 4(a), (b) and (c). Mounted to the top of body 3 are dual drive assemblies, each generally comprising motor mount 26, hydraulic motor 27, gear box 22, and torque tube 23. Motor 27 and gear box 22 are of conventional construction, such as the Model AEM-200 motor from Prince Mfg. Co., Sioux City, Iowa, and the Model B-120 planetary gear drive from Eskridge Co., Olathe, Kans. Gear box 22 connects to torque tube 23, made of steel, 51/2" OD, 41/4" ID. As best seen in FIG. 4(a), the other non-driven end of torque tube 23 is supported by bushing 35 within roller track 8. Spline shaft 44, which is held within torque tube 23 by spacer 40, passes through roller track 8, side plate 37, upper lift arm member 15, and is secured by spline hub 24. Hub 24, and therefore upper lift arm member 15, can be removed by removal of washers 36 and retaining ring 38.

An alternative embodiment of the lift arm drive mechanism is shown on FIG. 9. A hydraulic rotary drive unit 44 is mounted to the side wall of body 3, driving dual torque tubes 45 and 46 which, in turn, are connected to and drive upper lift arm members 15 as described above. Drive unit 44 is preferably a helical rotary actuator device such as the HELAC ROTARY ACTUATOR manufactured by Helac Corporation, Enumclaw, Wash.

Movement of buckets 11 and 12 is shown on FIG. 5., and the process can typically be accomplished in ten to twenty seconds. Movement of torque tube 23 is limited by stop 34. Thus, when bucket 11 or 12 reaches the upper travel limit, the operator can visualize an increase in hydraulic pressure in cab 1 and reverse motor 27 to lower the bucket for further waste collection. It can also been seen that, unlike conventional rigid lever-controlled bucket dump mechanisms, buckets 11 and 12 of the present invention do not move in a wide arc away from body 3, making loading in confined areas a much more efficient and safe operation.

Finally, maintenance and repair of the present unit is more convenient than prior art devices because of the ease of disassembly of the individual components.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention is not strictly limited to the described preferred embodiment. For example, a vehicle which incorporates fewer waste compartments and perhaps only one lift bucket could be constructed without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. 

What I claim is:
 1. In conjunction with a waste transport truck, a waste collection and transport body mounted to the frame of said truck comprising:(a) a lower frame supporting a floor plate and side walls; (b) a tailgate and inner doors defining plural waste compartments interior to said body; (c) means for independent latching and unlatching of said inner doors, for separable discharge of said waste compartments from the rear of said body when said body is tilted; (d) a waste loading bucket mounted on at least one of said side walls of said body, for loading of waste materials at street level, said bucket including plural waste bins corresponding to and aligned with said plural interior waste compartments of said body; (e) dual arms for lifting said buckets from street level to above the top opening of said interior waste compartments of said body, each of said arms comprising upper and lower members, an upper hinge assembly joining said upper and lower members, and a lower hinge assembly joining said lower member to said bucket; (f) plural vertical track means attached to said side wall of said body for directing slidable vertical movement of said bucket proximate to said body side wall when lifted by said lift arms, each of said track means including a curved upper section adapted to invert said bucket causing discharge of said waste bins into said corresponding interior waste compartments of said body; (g) drive means, connected to at least one of said lift arms, whereby rotation of said drive means causes rotation of said lift arms and vertical movement of said bucket along said track means proximate to said body side wall; (h) at least one moveable top covering said body; and (i) said lift arm drive means comprises a hydraulic motor and gear box mounted adjacent to one of said lift arms, a rotating torque tube connected at one end to said gear box and at its other end to a second lift arm, whereby rotation of said hydraulic motor causes rotation of each of said dual lift arms.
 2. The waste body of claim 1 where said bucket further comprises rollers mounted on each side of said bucket, said rollers adapted for horizontally restraining said bucket between said vertical track means while rotating within said track means during vertical movement of said bucket.
 3. The waste body of claim 2 where said upper and lower lift arm members are secured to said corresponding drive means, to said upper hinge assembly, and to said lower hinge assembly by means including removable retaining rings, whereby said lift arms, said bucket, and said drive means are easily removable by tools alone for repair and maintenance.
 4. The waste body of either of claims 1 through 3 where each of said inner door latching and unlatching means comprises an independently controlled fluid chamber mounted below said body floor plate, a door stop mounted to and above said floor plate, a door latch plate adjacent to said inner door, and rotating means connecting said latch plate to said fluid chamber, and means biasing said connecting means, whereby when said fluid chamber is filled, said latch plate is rotated by said connecting means through a slot in said body floor plate to unlatch said inner door, and whereby when said fluid chamber is empty, said bias means and connecting means cause rotation of said latch plate from beneath said floor plate, latching said inner door against said door stop.
 5. The waste body of claim 4 further comprising means mounted to said torque tube for stopping rotation of said torque tube, whereby inversion and discharge of waste from said buckets is indicated by an increase in pressure in said hydraulic motor. 